Winona, MN Info PLEASE!! (apartment, rentals, mobile home)

[fanaraj]

Originally Posted by blakeneven

If anyone can tell me anything about Winona, that would be great. I am hoping to get a job at Saint Mary's University and would love to get some feedback on the town/area. My wife and I would be moving from Bellevue/Seattle WA. What are the people like? Is the area run down or charming? How is the weather?
Thanks for the time!

I went to college in Winona for 2 years & loved it! It is a college town for sure but it is beautiful & very cozy. I have not been there in 10 plus years, but I can only imagine that it is better now! Good Luck to you!
I does get bitter cold as it is Minnesota!

[oconnorcm3]

As someone who grew up in Winona, Minnesota I am amazed at the number of folks who are writing in about it. In general, it seems that Winona is much loved. As I read the comments, both negative and postive, I remember everything about it. I still spend vacations back there, visiting my many family members still living in Winona.

Winona is a college town, lively during the school year (with loud parties, drunks, busy bars, lots of students spending lots of money and a fun place to be) but also fun during the wonderful summers. There is always something to do in Winona from boating, swimming in the Lake (yup, I did it for years and am still alive), hiking in the hills and along the bluffs, cross country skiing, visiting the wonderful, old library, walking in the historical downtown (small but every year that I go back I see new places trying to make a living there), ice skating on Lake Winona, the wonderful water park on the west side of town, summer concerts in the band shell on Lake Winona, wonderful parks-many handicapped accesible and even dipping in the fountain with Wenonah standing over you (but watch for police since you aren't allowed). Many of the old homes in Winona have been lovingly restored and make for such interesting sites to walk past.

I feel fortunate indeed to have spent my first 21 years there and am seriously considering calling it home when we retire.

Mari O'C

[Vaag]

I love that town and don't really give a rat how many minorities the town may or may not have. "Can't we all just get along?" I'm now 60 and retired and plan to move there soon. Wish housing was less. Seems like with a modest average income housing is too expensive as listed. I love college sports and the Winona area has plenty for almost free. Also much better weather than MSP. Winter is two weeks later to arrive while Spring is 2 weeks earlier. : Used to hang there in the early 70's. A friend of mine told me that you can live nowhere in that town and be more than 2 or 3 blocks from a saloon. This eliminates a lot of DWI's. Why drive when you can walk?

[TJBounce]

Hi!

I live in la Crosse, WI...it's right across the river, about a 30 min drive to Winona. We love the whole area, including Winona. I would suggest moving here to anyone. The area is beautiful with bluffs on one side and the river on the other. There are great small lakes, lots of family areas and a cute downtown with old historic buildings. The shopping isn't the best, a loty of Winonaians go to La Crosse for shopping and other restaurant choices. You are also close to Rochester which has a great mall. Hope this helps!

[bopice]

Hi all! I'd like to say that i love winona! Everyone is very nice and laid back.
Winters are cold ,but snow makes for a good holiday scenary. Spring and fall are incredible with tons to do. I was born and raised here , moved for 2 months to germany and came right back. There's no place i'd rather be, besides Hawaii in the winter

Great town and people.

Check out the other winona forums

http://winonamn.boardzero.com/forum.html

[Latania]

I agree - Winona is a beautiful place.
It sides down in a valley so the wind blows over the bluffs - making it feel a little warmer in winter. The same protection from the winds increases the bugs in summer (Indians said not to live down there because of all the pest problems).

The town is very contrast"y" as you find some very rich people and very small middle class there and a LOT of college students (it is mainly a college town so it can look like a ghost town in summer).

The views on the bluff are enjoyable and often spring brings on more water than the Mississippi can contain.

If your idea of fun is sitting on a shore and fishing, or getting around on a bike, or just watching barges go by - you'll love the place.

[brownie138]

Winona is just like thousands of communities around the nation. We have the best scenery, great wildlife and fantastic people. Are some people very conservative? Yes. Are some very liberal? Yes. Are most people in the middle somewhere? Yes.

I think that it all depends on what you want. I think that we have a vibrant arts community. Lots of fine artists and craftsmen live here, work here and sell here. We have plenty of other arts too. Just had the Mid-West Music Festival with hundreds of bands and musicians in our restaurants and bars. Wonderful music. There was also a block party with live performers during the weekend. The Bluff Country Studio Art Tour is happening this weekend.Visit the studios of artists on the Tour and find great art in the form of paintings, lithographs, stained glass, pottery, baskets, jewelry, slumped glass, hand bags, turned wood, sculpture, iron work and more. Come and see us in the summer for the Great River Shakespeare Festival, the Beethoven Festival, and the South-east Minnesota Fine Artists Exhibit. During the winter we enjoy plays and musical events at St. Mary's. We even have special events where we dress up in clothing from a different era and donate the proceeds to charity.

Yet we don't have it all. C'mon, it's not hard to drive to La Crosse, Rochester or the Twin Cities for more events or to shop. The drive is spectacular and well worth the time. I think that it's great to be able to find something to do all over and not just concentrate on only one community.

I love it here. Yes, we have violence, poverty, drugs, hate crimes. So does every community. Are we working on fixing this? Yes, we are. So many of us spend a great deal of our time working on solutions and we're making a difference. I recommend Winona as a fine place to live and work.

[MSPLove]

I almost considered Winona a year and a half ago! I was hired for a job down in that area (over the border in WI). Wasn't there long, but my main consensus...

Undeniably gorgeous. Roads are kind of terrible. Drivers a little worse. I think that's due to all the cross-border traffic all day & college students who've been driving two years of their lives. lol It's right on the WI/MN border, so there are a LOT of commuters.

Friendly people. Two employees @ the local Wal-Mart were particularly helpful to me on something. It was above and beyond their job description, too.

Wasn't there long enough to comment on culture/nightlife, obviously. They have an A&W! Mmm, mmm good! lol

In the end, I had strange vibes about the job (no explanation I can give really, just a feeling) and ended up turning it down. Got a different job further north where I am now (& felt good about), and didn't end up needing a place in the Winona area after all.

[maqsews]

I have a job opportunity as a medical professional with a good salary in Winona. Is it a decent place for a single male in mid-twenties? What type of cultural activities, entertainment, sports, etc (if any) are available in town? I don't want to have to drive to LaCrosse, Rochester or Twin Cities all the time to find things to do. What about apartments/houses? Are there nice apartments to rent that are away from student housing? If so, where are they?

[Grizzly Addams]

Originally Posted by maqsews

I have a job opportunity as a medical professional with a good salary in Winona. Is it a decent place for a single male in mid-twenties? What type of cultural activities, entertainment, sports, etc (if any) are available in town? I don't want to have to drive to LaCrosse, Rochester or Twin Cities all the time to find things to do. What about apartments/houses? Are there nice apartments to rent that are away from student housing? If so, where are they?

Not too many. It is definitely a college town.